Yemen's Supreme Court rejects appeal against Nimisha Priya's death sentence; Delhi High Court urges swift decision on travel request for negotiations

Yemen's Supreme Court has dismissed an appeal challenging the death sentence imposed on Indian nurse Nimisha Priya, who has been incarcerated in Yemen since 2017 for the murder of a citizen of Yemen.

Hailing from Kerala, Priya was found guilty of causing the death of Talal Abdo Mahdi by injecting him with sedatives while trying to recover her passport from him.

Earlier this year, Priya's mother approached the Delhi High Court seeking approval to visit Yemen, despite a travel ban imposed on Indian nationals since 2017. The Delhi High Court on Thursday called on the Central government to reach a decision within a week in adherence to Priya’s mother’s travel request. The mother of the Kerala nurse aims to engage in negotiations for "blood money" or compensation to Mahdi’s family as a means to secure her daughter's release. The petitioner had previously pleaded with the court, asserting that the sole avenue to rescue her daughter involved direct negotiations with the victim's family, a procedure requiring her physical presence in Yemen.

In 2022, the "Save Nimisha Priya International Action Council," an organization dedicated to securing Priya's release, submitted a petition to the High Court, urging the Centre to initiate diplomatic interventions and negotiate with the victim's family on behalf of Nimisha Priya. The high court had then instructed the government to pursue legal actions against her conviction.